The potential role of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in dermatomyositis with cardiac involvement: A case report.

BACKGROUND

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a chronic inflammatory muscle disease. Cardiac involvement is reported to be a main cause of death in DM but typically remains subclinical. Delayed or missed diagnosis renders more severe prognosis in DM patients.

CASE SUMMARY: A 69-year-old man with a 6-month history of shortness of breath, cough and characteristic cutaneous lesions was diagnosed with DM complicated with interstitial lung disease on his first admission. Within 47 days, the patient developed progressive heart failure with dyspnea. The levels of B-type natriuretic peptide and Troponin I drastically increased and the cardiac function prominently decreased. According to the result of cardiac magnetic resonance, he was finally diagnosed with DM combined with cardiac involvement. Interestingly, the abnormal cardiac metabolism on 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography / computed tomography FDG PET/CT had been found before the cardiac involvement was clinically identified.

CONCLUSIONS

18 F-FDG PET/CT may play a potential role in early recognition of cardiac involvement in patients with DM, although more data is still needed.